Getting ready for winter

My gardening crew---all women---were here today, putting everything to bed, covering things with mulch, getting ready for, ugh, snow. I've had Lucia and her crew working here for the past 8 years and I love how strong they are, how tireless, how cheerful.

My own daughter, my younger one, runs a business that is usually done only by men. She removes paint from various things but specializes in antique cars. So she is trim and strong as can be and very proud, rightly, of being an expert at such a demanding job.

It is very cool to see women loving hard work and doing it well.

And speaking of women: today is my granddaughter's 16th birthday. And darn it, the gift that I was so excited about sending her...which was mailed 3 weeks ago to Germany...has not arrived yet. Martin and I are going over there late in November, so we can take a duplicate if it has been lost in the mail. But I suspect it will show up in a few days. It's just disappointing that it wasn't there for the big day. More for me than for her! Hiss boo to the postal service.

Today was not a full day of work because I was feeling kind of crummy with this cold and ended up napping this afternoon. Did the trick, apparently, because this evening I am feeling pretty good and suspect that I'll be fine tomorrow. And they are predicting rain, so it won't be tempting to go outside... I'll get lots done.